Trial set for Greeley man police shot after they claim he moved on them with knife

The trial for Joseph Perez, who was shot by Greeley police while he advanced on them with a knife, is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Jan. 9. It is expected to last two days.

A trial is set for the Greeley man police shot and wounded in January, after officers say he advanced on them with a knife.

Joseph Valentino Perez, 28, appeared in court briefly Thursday as attorneys finalized plans for his trial, which is set to last two days. He faces nine criminal charges that have their origins in incidents that occurred late 2015 and early 2016, according for affidavits for his arrest.

Perez has been in custody since police arrested him in the early hours of Jan. 25. According to affidavits for his arrest, officers responded twice to the house, 1327 16th Ave., where Perez lived. The second time they arrived, they found Perez in the basement, stabbing himself in the stomach with a knife, according to the report. When he moved on police with the knife, one officer shot him, the affidavit states.

It wasn't Perez's first brush with law enforcement. He also is accused of assaulting his lover, Thomas Vasquez, on Dec. 9, 2015. Affidavits state Vasquez came to the house that night, and the two got into an argument because Perez believed Vasquez told others about the relationship, according to the report. The argument became physical when Perez began punching him in the face, and Vasquez called the police. By the time they arrived, Perez was gone, and police were unable to find him, the affidavit stated, so a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The warrant was still active when police shot Perez on Jan. 25. After he underwent surgery on the gunshot wounds, he was transported to the Weld County Jail. Almost a year after his arrest, his case is moving to trial.

He faces five assault charges, three menacing charges, and one charge of escape from felony conviction, in connection with the Jan. 25 incident.

Recommended Stories For You

He also faces a second-degree assault charge for his suspected assault on Vasquez, but that case will be tried at a later date.

If found guilty of first-degree assault, a class 3 felony, Perez could spent up to 12 years in prison.

What’s next

The trial for Joseph Perez, who was shot by Greeley police while he advanced on them with a knife, is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Jan. 9. It is expected to last two days.